The idea for the latest blog article came from speaking with a medical centre owner about why a GP had chosen not to visit their practice.

The doctor in question was looking at practices in the area and had chosen to visit the most suitable three to visit. The deciding factor on which sites they would visit, was their Google reviews.

With so many options for General Practitioners in the current market, it is essential that practices do all that they can to get the doctor to visit their centres, so they can then show off their practice and highlight all of the benefits of working there.

To do this, it is vital to understand the key factors doctors take into account when considering which practices to shortlist. Billing policy, location, corporate/independent and practice size are all well-known factors, but Google reviews are far less considered by medical centre owners. From speaking with a lot of our clients, it is apparent that the reviews are more thought of for patient attraction than anything to do with recruitment.

What do your Google reviews say about the practice?

Overall Star rating

As customers, the first thing we look at is the overall star rating for a business we are considering, with anything less than 3.5 stars giving potential cause for concern.

Doctors are no different when considering a place to work. They value ‘quality’ highly and are less likely to select a practice with a low star rating.

Bad reviews

We accept that all businesses will have some negative reviews, but it is how these reviews are handled that speaks volumes about the quality of the practice.

A negative review that has not been replied to, can give the impression to potential doctors that the business does not value the opinion of their customers.

What can you do to improve your Google rating?

Respond to ALL reviews (the good and the bad)

A well-crafted response that acknowledges the negative review, tells both your customers and potential doctors that you care. Customers who have left a poor review are just as likely to delete or amend the review, once they feel they have been listened to and the complaint has been addressed.

When writing a response, always observe the golden rules:

Thank the reviewer for taking the time to leave the review

Be nice and don’t get personal

Keep the response short and encourage further offline communication to resolve the complaint

There is nothing wrong with asking for a Google review, as long as you do not incentivise it. You will be surprised how many happy customers would be pleased to leave a positive review, if asked. According to a recent poll, 90% of satisfied customers will leave a review if they are asked.

When DXC Medical Recruitment turned 6 months old in July, we asked 10 customers (clients and doctors) if they would be happy to leave a review. Of those 10, we received our first 8 five-star reviews within 3 weeks. We cannot promise an 80% return rate from your customers, but if you do not ask then you may not get!

Take ownership of your Google reviews

Depending on the size of your medical centre(s), it may be an idea to create a Google Reviews policy. The policy helps staff understand the importance of good reviews and what to do if they encounter a bad review.

The policy should outline who receives Google reviews on email, how to respond and in what timeframe. You can include other review platforms in the policy, including Bing, Facebook etc.

In conclusion……..

Google reviews can be incredibly powerful in the GP recruitment process. They enhance the doctor’s confidence in the practice they are considering and demonstrate how important the client values customer feedback.

Take ownership of your Google reviews (and Google listing) and do not be afraid to ask for reviews. They may just be the difference between a GP joining your practice.

For more information on anything covered in this article, or to discuss your GP recruitment requirements, please contact: